Adjustable self-transporting thread store reel



Oct. 211, 1952 H. REITSMA ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRANSPORTING THREAD STORE REEL Filed July 15. 1949 \nveni'or:

Hendrik Reirsma 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 his A'Hornzg Oct. 211, 1952 H. REITSMA ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRANSPORTING THREAD STORE REEL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1949 \nven'kor:

Hendrik Rci'isrna 5L1 @cfi. 211 1952 H. REITSMA 2,614,313

ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRANSPORTING THREAD STORE REEL Filed July 15, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 awy/p wm h'i's AHOI- neg Oct. 2E, 1952 H. REITSMA I 2,614,313

ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRANSPORTING THREAD STORE REEL Filed July 15, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.7

Oct. 21, 1952 H. REITSMA 2,614,313

ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRANSPORTING THREAD STORE REEL Filed July 15, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lrivenl'or Hendrik Rz'nsma b M/Vfliphw his AHornzg Patented Oct. 21, 1952 ADJUSTABLE SELF-TRAN SPORTING THREAD STORE REEL Hendrik Reitsma, Amsterdam, Netherlands, as-

signor to Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1949, Serial No. 104,894 In the Netherlands July 21, 1948 Claims.

The invention relates to adjustable, self-transporting thread store reels such as are used for the advancement and simultaneous treatment of artificial threads, and to certain components or subcombinations thereof. Such store reels are particularly suitable for carrying out a continuous or partly continuous spinning process for artificial threads, i. e., to a process in which the spun thread is uninterruptedly subjected to the various treatments required, such as drying, stretching or shrinking, and chemical aftertreatment. The expression thread is herein used for brevity to include various natural or artificial spun or extracted filaments, yarns, tapes, ribbons or the like. r

The reels of the typeherein considered comprise a plurality of, usually two, drums arranged for rotation about separate non-coincident axes, the drums being arranged either inside each other and formed as cages with interdigitating, threadengaging bodies such as staves or bars, or outside each other, such as side by side (or, when there are more than two, arranged with their axes at the edges of a prism or frustum of a cone). The thread is wrapped about the drums in a plurality of turns, the oncoming or standing part of the thread being fed onto the thread-supply end of the reel, advanced along the drums by the rotation thereof, and taken oif at the discharge end thereof. The invention is specifically concerned with reels wherein the thread-engaging bodies of the two drums have relative axial reciprocating motion and are disposed so that the thread is alternately engaged and carried by the bodies of the two drums. drums inside of each other and arranged as interdigitating cages the axes of the rotation of the cages are eccentric so that the staves of the cages undergo a relative radial motion, causing the staves of one cage to be radially outermost and in thread-engaging position during movement through a first sector of the reel, and causing the staves of the other cage to be radially outermost and in thread-engaging position during movement through another sector; as a result the turns of thread are shifted axially by the first cage (assumed to be the one having axial reciprocating motion) while engaged by its staves in said first sector, and are then taken over by the second cage in the second sector within which the staves of the first cage return axially to the starting position. In the case of drums outside of each other, which are not interdigitating the thread passes successively over the two or more drums making up the reel and at least one of the Thus, in the case of drums must have the thread-engaging element thereof reciprocable with respect to the threadengaging elements of the other drums; the drums may in this case also be cages, but this is not in every case essential.

Such rollers are, for example, used in the socalled continuous spinning process of artificial thread, sometimes referred to as filament, Wher e in various treatments are applied to the thread subsequent to the threads leaving the spinning nozzle. In the manufacture of such thread itfrequently happens that the threads must be submitted for an appreciable period of time mom or more operations of wet or dry processing and/or shrinking or stretching. It is desirable to carry out the manufacture of such threads in as continuous manner as possible, but as the different operations included in the manufacturing process may require different period-s of time to complete, some of them appreciable periods, much space and large quantities of treating agents may be required if the thread is simply passed over sheaves and moved through a drying chamber or tank of treating agent. By means of storing roller systems relatively long lengths of thread may be temporarily stored while in motion in a relatively small space, and the thread may be readily treated with a processing medium while being thus stored.-

It is often desirable to vary the time of storage in individual reels without altering the time of storage in other reels, and it is then not feasible to vary the speed of rotation of the reels or the linear speed of the thread. in such cases it is necessary to construct the reels to be adjustable so that the number of turns of thread, hence, the storage time of the thread thereon, can be changed. The present invention is particularly concerned with such a reel.

Reels are knownsee for example Netherlands patent specifications Nos. 33,765 and 36,844+ which consist of two cages, the cylindrical surfaces of both of which are formed by parallel bars. These cages interdigitate and are rotatable in the same direction around two parallel axes, so that when rotating one cage acquires a radial illand out-going movement in respect of the other and each part of the thread is alternately carried by a section of the surface of one of the cages. A mechanism is provided which imparts to the in' dividual bars of one of the cage drums an axial reciprocating movement, which makes it possible, in one revolution, to displace the thread a certain distance sidewards, in axial direction, during half such revolution, so that the thread is passed over the reel in approximately helical windings."

Now, this distance, the pitch of the helical windings of the thread, determines, for any given length and diameter of the cages, the total length of the thread wound round the reel and is, therefore, one of the points which determine the duration of the treatment to which the thread is subjected on this reel. To alter the duration of the treatment of the thread on the reel at a constant speed of rotation of the reel, it is therefore necessary to alter the length of the thread on the reel, which can be effected by changing thepitch and thus the number of thread windings. This adjustability of the pitch of the thread windings is particularly an advantage, if it is desirable to apply diflerent treating periods in one spinning machine and to adapt these periods to the differ.- ent chemicals, types and/or thicknesses of the thread. Thus it becomes possible for all the reels in this spinning machine to be made the some size, which promotes uniformity and interchangeability.

The reel described in Netherlands patent specification No. 33,765,, which is built up of two cage drums, has no adjustable pitch.

The construction of the reel according to Netherlands patent specification No. 36,844 is such that the pitch is adjustable. However, the axially movable bars abut a stationary control disc or positioning member at each end and slide along the faces of the discs, resulting in friction. Also in view of the mechanism applied therein both sides of the reel are mounted in bearings, so that if in the case of thread-breakage a ring of thread h s formed at the end of the reel, this ring of thread cannot possibly be slipped off the in course oi the operation. It is then necessary to, stop the machine after which the ring of thread can be cut and removed.

Ii -i5: general object of the invention to provide an adjustable, self-transporting thread store reel of; the clas described which can be readil mounted as a cantilever reel, leaving one end fr e. which can be easily adjusted to vary the efiective lengths of the advancing strokes of the axially reciprocable thread advancing bodies in relation to the other thread-engaging bodies of the reel.

It is a specific object of the invention to provide' an improved, reel of the type described comprising a plurality of drums arranged either one inside the other orside by side wherein at leastone drum has axially movable, thread-advancing bodies which are positioned by a flexible positi0ning member rotatable with the drum and which may bedeformed to different axial deflections at different circumferential points, whereby the axially movable thread advancing bodies will be moved axially both to and fro in the course of their rotation by the same positioning member, and it ispossible to employ but a single positioning member. The ends of the axially movable thread advancing bodies away from the flexible support may be fixed to a second flexible support element or may be guided by another suitable support element, such as a rigid disc with apertures through which the bodies extend and have axially reciprocable motion.

It, is a further. object to provide. an improved reel wherein the axially reciprocable threadadvancing bodies are fixed to a flexible support which rotates with the drum and functions as a positioning member for imparting the proper axial; deflections to the bodies, whereby rubbing engagement. between the reciprocable bodies and the positioning member is obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved reel of the class described wherein the effective length of the thread-advancing stroke of the axially reciprocable thread-engaging bodies can be readily varied by applying a variety of control mechanisms thereto, viz., mechanisms which vary the actual lengths of the strokes and/or which vary the phase of such strokes.

Still another object is to provide an improved reel comprising a rigid drum and a flexible drum, arranged one-within the other for rotation about eccentric axis and with interdigitating staves, the staves of the flexible drum being mounted in a flexible disc which may be deformed by a control mechanism at one end of the reel.

In summary the reel according to the invention, incommon with known reels, has a plurality, preferably two, drums each of which provides thread-engaging bodies, such as staves or bars arranged as a cage with or without intervening circumferential spaces, or (in the case of the rigid drum where the reel has its drums arranged side by side) a continuous cylindrical surface. The drums are arranged for rotation on different axes, which may be parallel, skew, divergent or convergent, in any desired arrangement so that the thread is engaged alternately by the several drums in its course about the reel during rotation thereof. The thread-engaging bodies of at least one drum, herein referred to as the flexible drum, are individually reciprocable in an axial direction and are positioned by a rotatable support at least one element of which is a flexible support element carried at its central part by a hub or drum axle and the outer part of which can be flexed or deflected in an axial direction by our adjustable positioning guide or guides having running enagement. with the flexible support element. As the flexible element moves past the guide or guides (which remain stationary after adjustment) it is flexed so that all parts thereof undergo progressive axial reciprocating movement. The thread-engaging bodies or staves of the flexible drum are anchored to at least one such flexible support element, and are thereby given reciprocating axial movements as the drum is rotated.

According to one preferred embodiment to be described, the reel consists of two drums that are substantially radially coextensive, i. e., whereof each has parts mounted within the. circumferential limits of the other and each has a plurality of peripheral staves extending generally in axial, directions which are interdigitated and provided with separate supports rotatable about different axes lying within the cages, whereby the staves have relative radial movements during the rotation of the two drums. In the simplest embodiment the staves are straight bars and the two cages have like diameters and revolve about parallel, eccentric axes, although these features are not essential to the invention and may be varied, as when it is desired to shrink or to stretch the thread during its sojourn on the reel. The first drum or cage is flexible, and its support comprises a pair of flexible discs forming two support elements fixed to the ends of the staves. The other drum, which may also be flexible, is preferably rigid, and has its support in the form of two rigid discs to which its staves are fixed at their ends. The staves of one cage, e. g.. of the rigid cage, extend through holes in the discs of the other cage, whereby one cage is driven by the other.

The flexible support element of the flexible drum which serves to reciprocate the threadpossible to slant or incline the flexible disc with respect to the axis of rotation. To assure that the thread-engaging bodies reciprocate axially without undergoing angular motion with respect to the axis of rotation the ends thereof away from the said flexible support element are suitably supported with respect to'the axis by means of any suitable second support element, such as another flexible rotating disc or by a rigid disc having holes within which the bodies have slid ing contact. The extent of reciprocating motion of the thread-engaging bodies occurring when the flexible drum is rotated depends upon the deflection imparted to the flexible disc by the guide.

As will appear hereinafter, the pitch, i. e., the axial distance between the turns of thread on the reel, can be adjusted by either of two methods, or by a combination of the two:

a. By adjusting the degree of deflection of the flexible support element in an axial direction. In this method the effective length of the advancing stroke is varied by altering the actual length of the stroke. 1

b. By changing the phase of the deflection, i. e., by-adjusting the circumferential position of the point of maximum deflection. In this method the effective length of the advancing stroke is varied by alterlngthe sector of the reel within which the thread is advanced.

If it is desired, that the axial displacement of the thread has the greatest possible advantage of the axial movement of the staves of the flexible drum in relation to the staves of the other drum (which may be rigid), the places where every point of a flexible disc has, with rotating drums, the greatest deflection from the positip'n perpendicular to the drum axis, should preferably be situated on or asclose as possible to the lines of intersection of the disc and the plane or planes which is (are) at right angles to the common external tangential planes of the two drums and,

If the pitch is made adjustable by varying the.

extent of deflection in the above-mentioned places, it will at all times be possible toutilize the reciprocating movement to its full extent. If, however, the deflection of a flexible disc is kept constant but the point of the greatest deflection is altered in circumferential direction, it will, with a constant stroke of thereciprocating movement, only be possible to use part of this reclprocating movement for the axial displacement of the thread.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompany drawings n 75 a part of this specification and illustrating oertain specific embodim'e'ntsby way example;

wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view' of v.the'reel; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the reel,

taken on a vertical plane indicatedbythe line 2-4 on Fig. 1, the control mechanism being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a transverse :section taken on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a view taken from line 4-4 of Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary: plan view showing a modified engagement between the guide rollers and flexible disc;"

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modification employing six guide rollers; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation view, partly in section, of v a further modification employing drums mounted side by side, the control mechanism being omitted. I

Referring to Figs. .1-4, the reel is mounted on a supporting bracket H] which carries a spindle ll, secured by a nut I2 and providing a cantilever mounting for the reel. The spindle has a first journal portion I3 and a second journal portion [4 toward its free end, eccentric with respect to the first journal. A third journal I5, coaxial with the journal 14, is provided near the supported end. It will be noted that the portion I4 is smaller in diameter than the portion I3, and that these portions have a common tangent plane at the top, permitting the reel to be assembled by sliding over the free end of the spindle.

The drums of the reel are in the form of a rigid cage and a flexible cage; which are interdigitatlng. The support for the rigid cage consists of rigid discs It and l! forming support elementsthereof, between which rigid thread-engaging staves or bars I8 are rigidly secured in known manner.

Theouter disc I? is shown to be cut away at the center, leaving only a ring; it may, in certain cases, be omitted, but is desirable for structural reasons. The disc It has a hub l9 formed integrally therewith for rotation about and support on the journal portion I3. The support for the flexible cage consists of two flexible discs 20 and 2!, which may be made of resilient, noncorrosive sheet metal, plastic, or the like, and form the support elements thereof, between which rigid thread-engaging stavesor bars 22 are fitted with their ends fixed to the respective discs. The discs 20 and 2| are mounted on a bushing 23 which is rotatably mounted on the journal por-' tion l4 and retained in position by a retaining ring 2d and pin 25. The eccentricity e between the journal portions l3 and It causes the bars 22 to move radially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the bars i8 of the rigid cage when both cages are rotated. Thecages are driven by a spur gear 25, formed integrally with the hub l9, which meshes with a drive pinion'2'l. It will be noted that the bars It of the rigid cage extend through openings 28 in the flexible discs, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. When the rigid disc i6 is driven in the direction of the arrow, the bars 18 rotate in the same direction and take along the discs 20 and 2| and, consequently, causing rotation of the flexible cage. It will be noted that the openings 28 are shaped to permit rotation of the two cages about their relatively eccentric axes without binding, and

--that driving engagement of the bars l8 against the leading edges of the openings occurs only in the lower-left quadrant of Fig. 3. By formingthe holes small enough to cause contact orTnear 7 contact between theibars II and the trailingmafi ginal edges of the openings just after passing lower dead center backlash is prevented.

Since the eccentricity of the journal M with respect tothe journal I3 is upwards (see Figs. 2' and 3 the bars 22 of the flexible cage are radially outermost and in thread-engaging positions when in the upper half of the reel, and the bars 18 of the rigid cage areradially outermost and in thread-engaging position when in the lower half of the reel. Consequently, when the thread 29 is laid on the reel near the threadsupply end (towards the bracket? ID) at point D, it runs on the bars 22 over distance DE (in the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow), after which; in. the course of continued rotation at the reel, it is taken over by the bars [8 over the. distance ED. From this it appears that, for utilizing the axial movement of the bars 22 of the flexible cage to its full extent this axial movement must be initiated in the advancing direction towardthe. thread discharge end at point D and stopped at point E (with the given direction of rotation indicated in Fig. 3).

Such axial. displacement can be effected by making the .face of the. flexible disc toward the bracket [9 and near its margin smooth to provide an annular track. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4 the margin is fitted with a preferably stiff or rigid' annular guide flange 30 to form a second annular track facing the first track. An annular groove 3! is formed between the tracks. The deflecting means consists of two diametrically opposed guide rollers 32 disposed in the groove 3|, each having running engagements with one of the tracks. The guide rollers are axially adjustable and may be given equal and opposite axial deflections by means of. a control mechanism. Thus, the rollers are journall'ed in supports 33 which are adjustably secured by screws 34 to plungers 35 having axial reciprocating motion in a frame 36 which is rotatably supported'by the journal 15 of the spindle H, by means of a central hub and is clamped to the spindle by a screw 31. The rear ends of the plungers carry cross pins 35a slidable within transverse slots 38 formed by the forked ends of control lever 39 which has a yoke extending about the hub of the frame 36 and is pivotally mounted thereon by a pin 40. The ends of the lever 39 carry four rectangular prongs arranged as a rectangle, thereby providing also a longitudinal slot 38a (see Fig. 4) for guiding the plungers 35. The plungers 35 may be clamped in adjusted position on the frame 38 by a clamp 4|, thereby also looking the lever 39.

It is evident that when the lever 39 is disposed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the flexible cage the line joining the axes of the rollers 32 will likewise be perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cage and the disc 20 will be in its normal or neutral position; in this position the bars 22 are given no axial motion by the rotation of the cage. When the lever is tilted to the position shown in Fig. 1 the rollers 32 are given equal deflections but in opposite axial directions from their neutral positions, causing fiexure of the disc 20v and resulting in reciprocating axial movement of the bars 22 as the cage is rotated. It will be noted that the roller 32 which is retracted toward the thread-supply end of the reel runs against the guide flange 39, while the other roller, which is pushed toward the thread-discharge end of the cage, runs against the disc 20. From-the foregoingit appears. that, the rollers 32 should be as far as. possible on a line parallel to the line DE if it is desired to effect the greatest possible axial displacement of the bars 22 while the thread is running on the bars 22, thereby making the efiective thread-advancing stroke equal to the actual stroke of the bar.

The length of the actual stroke may be varied by changing the position of the lever 39, in accordance with the first of the previously men-- tioned methods of controlling the pitch; the adjustment by means of the set screws 34 is normally used only when first assembling the reel. After adjustment of the lever 39 the journals of the rollers 32 are stationary with respect to the bracket [0. If the adjustment is such that the rollers are shifted axially in opposite directions to. impart to the groove 3! a deflection equal to 2. every point of'the outer circumference of the disc 20 will have a displacement p when the reel is rotated 180. Every point on the bars 22 is thereby given a similar axial deflection p which is, however, slightly smaller than p because the connecting points between bars 22 and the disc 20 are nearer to the axis of rotation.

The thread 29 is thus displaced from D to E and at E is taken over by the bars l8 of the rigid cage which, after rotating 180 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, brings the thread to point D"; the latter movement occurs in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation. At point D the thread is again taken over by the flexible cage, whereupon the cycle is repeated until the thread has come to the thread-discharge end of" the reel, whence it is conducted to the next reel or a collecting apparatus (not shown). The reel is self-transporting and also self-winding, i. e., the thread end which is laid at the thread-supply end of the reel is automatically wound on the reel in helical windings, without initially having to lay a few thread I windings manually.

By reducing or increasing the magnitude of the deflection p" of the flexible disc by means of the lever 39 the pitch p of the helical threads can be varied. Consequently, by altering the pitch 7) it is possible to vary the, number of turns and, hence, to wind a longer or shorter thread on the same winding drum and thus increase or reduce the treating or storage period per unit of thread length.

The second of the previously mentioned methods of adjusting the length of the effective stroke is to loosen the screw 31 and shift the frame 38 about the journal l5 of the spindle II. This will revolve the rollers 32 and their supports as a unit about the axis of the flexible cage in a plane perpendicular to said axis. After adjustment the screw 3'! is again fastened. If the rollers are turned in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. 3, the points of the flexible disc 20 which have the greatest axial deflection will be situated in the median plane passing through the axis of the flexible cage and perpendicular to the plane of drawing Fig. 1. Thus the thread carried by the bars 22 of the flexible cage through the sector DE will first be displaced toward the thread-discharge end over a distance and then be displaced back toward the thread. supply endthrough an, equal distance, so that.

in the end the net displacement and the effective length of the stroke are nil; consequently, no helical windings of the thread are then formed. The reversal of the movement occurs in the plane passing through the points where the deflection of the flexible disc is greatest, i. e., through the rollers 32. and through the center line of the flexible cage. By turning the frame 36 and rollers 32 through some smaller angle an effective stroke between zero and 1) results. For example, when the frame is turned 45 instead of 90 in the direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. 3 the axial displacement of the thread toward the thread-discharge end is 0.853;), which is followed by a displacement in the opposite direction equal to 0.14612, resulting in a net advancement of the thread of 0.70710. In general, the net displacement of the thread is equal to :12 cos 9, where is the displacement of the frame 36 in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. 3.

It is. evident that either method may be used to attain any desired pitch by adjusting the axial displacement of the thread from nil to a maximum determined by the characteristics of the flexible disc. If desired, the two methods may be used simultaneously.

The scope of the invention is not confined to the specific arrangement of the cages or of the control mechanism illustrated in the drawings, but is subject to numerous variants without departing from the essential feature of the invention relating to the use of at least one flexible cage. Some of the variants will be described in the following paragraphs.

The flexible disc need not have a flange 3%), it being also possible to arrange the rollers to engage opposite sides of the disc itself, as is indicated at 32a and 32b in Fig, 5.

Moreover, a single roller 32 may in certain instances'be employed, no illustration thereof in the drawing being deemed necessary. However, such an arrangement is not preferred because a permanent change in the shape of the flexible discs or set is apt to occur. It is, however, often desirable to employ a larger number of rollers arranged at suitable equal or unequal circumferential intervals about the disc 20, such as 120 apart. A specific example is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein six rollers are used, arranged in groups of three disposed 45 apart at the points of greatest deflection of the disc. In this embodiment the frame 39a has six integrally formed arms 43-48, each provided with four-pronged ends for guide ingly receiving the plungers 35b, 350, etc. (corresponding to the plungers 35), and for slidingly retaining cross pins fixed to the plungers. The frame 39a is provided with six guides for the plungers 35b, 350, etc., and is pivotally mounted on the frame 36 and positioned in the manner previously described for Figs. 1-4.

The drums need not be interdigitating cages or one inside of the other, but may be arranged side by side. Reels with interdigitating bars are selfwinding as was explainedabove, whereas reels that have two' or more cages or drums mounted side by side or in a circle must be threaded manu-' ally or with an endless'flexible band, such asis described in U. S. Patent No. 2,350,182.

Also, it is not necessary that both ends of the thread-engaging staves of the flexible drum be secured in flexible discs, and it is sufficient that they be connected at one end to one flexible disc and that their other ends be in some manner sup- 10 passing them through openings in arigid disc. Both of the modifications mentioned in the two foregoing paragraphsare illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the reel is supported by a bracket 50 giving rotational support to a drive shaft 5| with spur gear 52 adapted to be driven by a pinion (not shown). Spindles 53 and 5d, bolted to the bracket, support flexible and rigid drums 55 and 56, respectively. The rigid drum is here shown as a long roll with a continuous, cylindrical outer thread-engaging surface, andthe'flexible drum is in the form of a cage formed of stavesor bars 57 fixed at one end to a flexible disc 58 which is fixed at its center to an elongated bushing or hub 59 which is freely rotatable about the spindle 53. The outer ends of the bars extend slidably through holes in a rigiddisc which is also fixed tothe hub 59. The flexible disc 58 is ofthe type indicated in Fig. 5, and has annular track portions on opposite faces at its margin adapted to be engaged by guide rollers (not shown) which may be adjusted axially and/or circumferentially by a control mechanism comprising a lever 39 pivotally mounted in a frame 36 which is clamped to the spindle 53 by a screw 3?. The details of this control mechanism are as was shown in detail in the previous figures and are omitted from Fig. '7. The'drums are fitted with gears Bi and 62 by which they are rotated abouttheir. spindles in the same direction, the gears being meshed with the pinion s3. 1

It is evident that the bars 51 reciprocateaxially when the drums are rotated, and that this mo.- tion advances thread axially during the portion of the travel of the thread in which it is in en gagement with the flexible drum. Theeffective length of the advancing strokes of these barscan be adjusted according to any of the methods, pre viously described.

While individual drive gears BI and Blwere provided, it is evident that in some casesone of these maybe omitted, so that one drum, usually the rigid drum, is rotated by the thread and acts as anidler, It will be appreciatedthatwiththe reel according to any of theforms of the invention the mechanism for rotating and supporting the drums, as well as the mechanism for adjusting the pitch of the thread, can be fitted in its eiltirety at one end of the drums, thereby obviating the use of a supporting bearing or adjusting mechanism at the other end, so that a full'canti lever mounting is achieved and the latterend can be entirely free. The latter end can, therefore, beof such a design as is most suitable for removing thread or for threading up the reel. As to the flexibility required for the flexible disc or support element, it is evident that this prop:

erty can be achieved either by making the disc entirely of flexible or resilient materiallasin Fig. 5), or partly of such material and partly. .of

another, e. g., a rigid material (as in Figs. 1-4), or by building up discs of parts which are them;-; selves rigid but which are connected by flexibl'e joints; such mechanical expedients will be evident to persons familiar with the" art. The disc may; of course, be'provided with'openings to reduce rigidity. I I '1 I claim as my invention:

plurality-of drums having peripheral threadsen: gaging bodies and disposed so that thread-wound about the drums is alternately engaged by the several drums; means rotatably supporting saiddrums for rotation about: different 'axes .m'ean's' l. A self-transporting store reel comprising' 'a' torrotatingsaid drums; "at leastone of said drums having the thread-engaging bodies thereof individually axially reciprocable and including a flexible support element extending transversely of the ax'i'sof rotation thereof and secured to the thread-engagin'g bodies thereof at points spaced trom said axis and a track located radially outwardly from said axis for running engagement with a guide, whereby the flexible support eleme'titwmay be deflected by running engagement with said guide when the drum is rotated.

' 2. The store reel according to claim 1 wherein said flexiblesupport element is a disc of flexible xheet'material having an annular track portion Jocated radially outwardly from said axis constituting the said track.

3. A self-transporting store .reel comprising a pair of drums having peripheral thread-engaging bodies-and disposed so that thread wound about the drums is alternately engaged by the two drums, one of said drums being rigid and the other drum being flexible and having the thread-engaging bodies thereof mounted for individual axial reciprocation; means rotatably supporting said drums for rotation about different axes; means for rotating said drums; said flexible drum comprising a rotatable support for the thread-engaging bodies thereof comprising tint-and second support elements, of which the flrstelement is a flexible disc extending transversely to the axis of rotation of the flexible drum and secured tothe said bodies at points spaced from said axis-and having an annular track por tion located radially outwardly from said axis for engagement with a guide, whereby the disc may be deflected axially by engagement of the track portion with a stationary guide when the flexible. drum is rotated, and the second support element is a disc spaced axially from said flexible dice and guidingly engaging said bodies for axial movement with said flexible disc.

'4. The store reel according to claim '3 wherein the-drums are substantially radially coextensive, both drums have their thread-engaging bodies formed as longitudinal staves and the staves of the twodrums are interdigitating. x

5. The store reel according to claim 3 wherein the rigid drum is a cylindrical roller disposed outside of the flexible drum.

-'6-. The store reel according to claim '3 wherein the said second supportelement is a second flexible disc and the thread-engaging bodies are flxed thereto at a plurality of points spaced from said-axis.

7. The store reel according to claim 3 wherein the said second support is a rigid disc having a plurality of holes affording sliding support to the thread-engaging bodies.

8. An adjustable self-transporting store reel comprising a plurality of drums having periph- 'eral thread-engaging bodies and disposed so that thread wound about the drums. is alternately engazed by the several drums; means .rotatably supporting said. drums for rotation about difment axes; means for rotating said drums; .at least one of. said drums having a flexible, supportqelement extending transversely of the axis of rotation thereof and secured to the thread-engaging bodies thereof atpoints spaced from said axis, said thread-engaging bodies being, individuall-y axially reciprocable; an, annular track portion on said flexible support element; and one or more adjustable guides in running enguement, with said track portion for imparting axial deflection to the flexible. support element 12 when the support element is rotated in relation to the guide or guides.

9. In combination with the store reel according to claim 8, an axially adjustable support for said guide or guides, whereby the magnitude of the deflection of the flexible support element can be altered.

10. In combination with the store reel according to claim 8, a circumferentially adjustable support for said guide or guides, whereby the circumferential position of the point of maximum deflection of the flexible support element can be altered.

11. An adjustable self-transporting store reel comprising a pair of drums having peripheral thread-engaging bodies and disposed so that thread wound about the drums is alternately engaged by the two drums, at least one of said drums being flexible; means rotatably supporting said drums for rotation about diflerent axes; means for rotating said drums; the thread-engaging bodies of said flexible drum being individually axially 'reciprocable; said flexible drum having a flexible support element extending transversely of the axis of rotation thereof and secured to the thread-engaging bodies thereof at points spaced from said axis; an annular track portion on said flexible support element; one or more guides in running engagement with said track portion for imparting axial deflection to the flexible support element when the support element is rotated in relation to the guide or guides; and a support for said guide or guides affording axial adjustment to the guide or guides and positioning said guide or guides to deflect the flexible support element in-a direction so that each point of the support element has the greatest angle of deflection from the perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the flexible drum on or near to the lines of intersection of the flexible support element and the plane perpendicular to the common external tangential planes of the two drums and passing through the axis of the flexible drum.

. 12. The store reel according to claim 11 wherein said support and the guide or guides supported thereby are mounted for rotational adjustment about the said axis of the flexible drum.

.13. An adjustable, cantilever-mounted, selftransporting store reel comprising a plurality of drums having peripheral thread-engaging bodies and disposed so that thread woundv about the drums is alternately engaged by the several drums; cantilever support means rotatably supporting said drums for rotation about different axes from one end of thetreel; means at the said end of the reel for rotating said drums; the thread-engaging bodies of at least one of said drums being individually axially reciprocable; said one drum having a flexible support element extending transversely of the axis of rotation thereof and secured to the thread-engaging bodies thereof at the said end of the reel at points spaced from said axis; an :annular track portion on said flexible support element; and adjustable guide means at said end of the reel in running engagement with said track for imparting an axial deflection to the flexible support element when the support element is rotated past the guide means, whereby the means for driving the drums and the adjustable guide means are both located at the supported end of thereel.

, 14. An adjustable, cantilever-mounted, self.-

.transporting store reel comprising 'a pair 'of 13 longitudinal staves forming thread-engaging bodies, the staves of the two cages being interdigitating and one of said cages being rigid and the other flexible with its staves individually axially reciprocable; a spindle supported at one end and having two eccentric journals; separate supports for said cages rotatable about said journals, whereby said cages are rotatable about different axes, the supports having such radial dimensions that the staves of the flexible drum are radially outermost and in thread-engaging position during movement through a first sector of their rotary movement and the staves of the rigid cage are radially outermost and in thread-engaging position during movement through a second sector; means at the supported end of the spindle for rotating said drums; said support for the flexible cage comprising a flexible support element near the supported end Of the spindle extending transversely of the axis of rotation of the flexible cage and secured to the staves thereof at points spaced from said axis; an annular track portion on said flexible support element; and adjustable guide means at said end of the reel in running engagement with said track portion for imparting axial deflection to the flexible support element when the support element is rotated past said guide means, whereby the means for driving the drums and the adjustable guide are both located at the supported end of the spindle.

15. An adjustable self-transporting store reel comprising a plurality of drums having peripheral thread-engaging bodies and disposed so that thread wound about the drums is alternately engaged by the several drums; means rotatably supporting said drums for rotation about different axes; means for rotating said drums; the threadengaging bodies of at least one of said drums being individually axially reciprocable; said one drum having a flexible support element extending transversely of the axis of rotation thereof and secured to the thread-engaging bodies thereof at points spaced from said axis; an annular track portion on said flexible support element; a lever mounted for tilting motion about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said flexible support element; means for securing said lever in an adjusted position; and a plurality of guides in running engagement with said annular track and mounted for axial reciprocating movement connected to said lever for imparting axial deflection to said flexible support element when the support element is rotated in relation to the guides.

16. As a subcombination, a flexible cage for use in thread-store reels comprising a plurality of individually axially reciprocable staves arranged in the form of a drum and adapted to engage thread wound thereon; a flexible disc disposed transversely to the axis of the cage and secured to the staves at points spaced from said axis; an annular track portion on said flexible disc adapted to have running engagement with a guide for deflecting said disc and staves axially; and a second support spaced from said disc and guidingly engaging said staves for axial movement with said flexible disc.

1'7. The cage according to claim 16 wherein the second support is a second flexible disc and the staves are fixed thereto at a plurality of points spaced from said axis.

18. The cage according to claim 16 wherein the second support is a rigid disc having sliding engagement with the staves.

19. The cage according to claim 16 wherein the flexible disc has a rigid annular flange near its margin extending substantially parallel to the face of the disc to provide an annular groove between the said face and the flange adapted to receive a guide roller.

20. As a subcombination, a flexible cage for use in thread-store reels comprising a bushing adapted to be rotatable upon a spindle; a flexible disc secured to said bushing near one end thereof and extending transversely thereto, said disc having an annular track portion adapted to have running engagement with a guide for deflecting said disc axially; a plurality of individually axially reciprocable staves arranged in the form of a drum and adapted to engage thread wound thereon, said staves being fixed near their ends to said flexible disc at a plurality of points spaced from the axis of said bushing; and a second support secured to said bushing near the other end thereof for rotation therewith and guidingly engaging said staves for axial movement with said flexible disc.

HENDRIK REITSMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,052,125 Boos 1. Feb. 4, 1913 2,153,685 Dannenbert et al. Apr. 11, 1939 2,168,555 Battin Aug. 8, 1939 2,352,868 Tarbox July 4, 1944 2,404,005 Stanley et al July 16, 1946 2,446,525 Castellan Aug. 10, 1948 2,459,270 Esmond Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 145,992 Germany Nov. 25, 1903 

